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Time of India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chinese military declines to comment on performance of China-made weapons used by Pakistan in conflict with India
The Chinese military Thursday declined to comment on the performance of China-made weapons used by Pakistan in the recent conflict with India. Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesperson Sr. Col. Zhang Xiaogang also played down the reports of India recovering an unexploded PL-15E, a radar-guided beyond visual range missile, stated to be the most advanced rocket of its kind produced by China. The missile you mentioned is an export equipment and has been shown at defence exhibitions at home and abroad many times, Zhang said in his media briefing here. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Prince William & Kate Met Princess Diana's Secret Daughter. Plays Star Undo India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away, Zhang said, parrying questions about Indian official's assertions that China provided air defence and satellite support to Pakistan in the military conflict and Chinese weapons systems performed below average. We hope that both sides can remain calm and restrained and avoid action further complicating the situation, Zhang said, reiterating earlier assertions by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Live Events The Chinese side is willing to continue the constructive role in achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire and preserve regional peace and stability, Zhang said in the first media briefing of the Chinese defence ministry after the May 7-10 military conflict between India and Pakistan. The Chinese Defence Ministry holds media briefings once a month. Considering the large-scale use of Chinese weapons supplies by Pakistan and the all-weather ties between the two countries, the Chinese official media showed considerable interest in India-Pakistan military confrontation. About two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor. Pakistan attempted to attack the Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions. According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has emerged as the largest weapons supplier to Pakistan, accounting for 81 per cent of arms procurement of China's all-weather ally from 2020 to 2024. The procurement included the latest jet fighters, radars, naval ships, submarines and missiles. Both countries jointly manufacture J-17 aircraft, the mainstay of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sonia, Rahul Gandhi denied knowing about AJL-YI transactions: ED
NEW DELHI: During her questioning over three days in July 2022 in the National Herald money laundering case, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had told Enforcement Directorate (ED) that she was not aware of who took the decision in Congress to assign the Rs 90 crore loan of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) to Young Indian, a not-for profit company in which she and her son Rahul Gandhi held 76% stake. "Motilal Vora, the then treasurer of Congress, would have been aware of this as he was empowered to deal with administrative and financial matters," Sonia had told the investigators, the ED said in its chargesheet filed against her on April 9. Rahul took an identical stand, refusing to acknowledge the controversial transactions that have become the prime money laundering charges slapped by the agency against the two. Young Indian took over AJL's loan liability towards Congress for a mere Rs 50 lakh, and in the process took over the company that owned assets across India estimated at over Rs 2,000 crore, according to ED. Both Sonia and Rahul were directors in Young Indian when these transactions happened, the agency said while accusing them of being involved in the conspiracy to siphon off assets of AJL that actually belonged to the Congress party. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Prince William & Kate Met Princess Diana's Secret Daughter. Plays Star Undo Based on details of Rahul's interrogation by ED investigators, TOI had in June 2016 exclusively reported that the Congress functionary had blamed the AJL-YI transactions to the late Motilal Vora. The agency was sceptical of the identical statements of mother and son as Sonia was then Congress president and Rahul was a general secretary in the party, besides being the majority shareholders in Young Indian and directors of the company. Vora was the party's treasurer for decades. Significantly, ED noted in its chargesheet that at the time it was transferred to Young Indian for Rs 50 lakh, AJL had an annual rental income of Rs 75 lakh. AJL's annual income shot up significantly after it was owned by the Gandhi family: from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 15 crore per annum by 2021-22. AJL, publisher of Congress mouthpiece National Herald and Quami Awaz, folded operations in 2008 after providing VRS to its remaining staff. However, it continued to make revenue by renting out its premises in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow and other cities. Later, after taking over the company, the promoters/directors of Young Indian further developed these properties and raised the annual rental income to Rs 15 crore. While Sonia told ED that "she was not aware why a new entity Young Indian was incorporated for assignment of the alleged loan of Rs 90 crore so as to do away with the non-recoverable loan of AJL when the same could have been achieved simply by writing off the loan", Rahul had said he was not aware where the Rs 50 lakh came from in Young Indian to settle the AJL loan (with Congress). Both Sonia and Rahul refused to produce documentary evidence to support their claim that late Vora was authorised to take the decision of assigning AJL's loan to YI and in return, transferring the entire company and its properties to the new entity privately owned by them.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: India declares second Pakistani diplomat persona non grata, told to leave in 24 hours
File photo NEW DELHI: The central government on Wednesday declared a Pakistani official persona non grata for indulging in activities "not in keeping with his official status in India". The Pakistani official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. In diplomacy, persona non grata refers to a foreign official or diplomat who is no longer allowed to stay in the host country. The government tells them to leave, usually without giving a reason. It's the strongest way a country can show disapproval of a foreign representative. "Charge d'Affaires, Pakistan High Commission , was issued a demarche to this effect today. He was asked to strictly ensure that none of the Pakistani diplomats or officials in India misuse their privileges and status in any manner," the government said. On May 13, India expelled another Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi, declaring him "persona non grata" for engaging in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status . The expulsion came shortly after a senior Indian military officer briefed defence attaches and representatives from around 70 countries on the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor , India's major counterterror operation launched in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Prince William & Kate Met Princess Diana's Secret Daughter. Plays Star Undo Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces on May 7 launched precision strikes on nine terror launchpads across Pakistan, including major hubs linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke. In response, Pakistan carried out multiple drone incursions into Indian airspace over the following nights, which were swiftly intercepted and neutralised by India's air defence systems. India then escalated its offensive, destroying key Pakistani military installations, including Rawalpindi's Nur Khan Airbase and the Rahim Yar Khan airbase. However, later, New Delhi agreed to pause its military response after Islamabad reached out at the DGMO level for a ceasefire.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Asteroid Vesta may be the last remaining fragment of a planet destroyed billions of years ago, according to scientists
Source: Asteroid Vesta , once thought to be a protoplanet that had been left behind in its formation, is now the subject of a groundbreaking investigation of what may be a remnant of a far larger planet that was present in the early solar system. New research, spearheaded by scientists at Michigan State University and published in Nature Astronomy in April 2025, challenges previous assumptions about Vesta being an embryonic planet, made based on observations from NASA's 2012 Dawn mission. The research instead suggests that Vesta may have been ejected from another, now-extinct planet in a massive collision some 4.5 billion years ago. Asteroid Vesta reveals surprising new insights about its structure The new research contradicts the old hypothesis that Vesta is an undifferentiated embryonic planet. Seth Jacobson, the lead author at Michigan State University, explained that the new data indicate the interior of Vesta is not in accordance with the fully differentiated planet model. This is an unusual interpretation of planetary science as it contradicts past research that suggested that Vesta might possess a dense metal core—a characteristic of differentiated planetary bodies. The research conclusions are based on precise gravity data obtained from the radio Doppler signals bounced back by the Dawn spacecraft. Using advanced calibration techniques, scientists found no sign of the metal-rich core that earlier research had indicated. The lack of core differentiation suggests that Vesta never existed as a fully formed planet. Instead, the evidence is for a scenario where Vesta is a fragment of a larger, older planet that was shattered in a gigantic collision billions of years ago. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Prince William & Kate Met Princess Diana's Secret Daughter. Plays Star Undo Vesta's volcanic features raise questions about its geologic origins However, Vesta's surface remains a mystery. The asteroid features evidence of volcanism, including a basaltic surface typical of bodies that have differentiated to a significant geological degree. But the absence of a differentiated interior calls into question the mechanism responsible for this activity. Jacobson assumes that Vesta could have experienced volcanic activity without complete differentiation, and this would mean that it retains some internal homogeneity that contradicts the earlier prediction for a planet-sized body. The study results offer a new explanation of the geologic features of Vesta. The volcano-formed surface of the asteroid may not be the result of a shared process of planetary evolution . Instead, Jacobson and co-workers propose that Vesta was created from a cataclysmic planetary impact-generated debris. According to this hypothesis, Vesta could have been created from a fully differentiated planet whose fragments now occupy the asteroid belt . Vesta's surprising features redefine planetary evolution This idea also paves the way for a broader theory: Vesta is merely one asteroid that is the product of such an impact. Other asteroids in the solar system could also be the remains of larger, disintegrated planets. This could be supported by future scans for gravity by NASA's Psyche mission and the European Space Agency's Hera mission, which are scheduled to find out more about asteroids and what planetary remains are made of. Vesta's makeup would imply a shared origin with Earth or other early planetary bodies. If that is the case, it would be a revolutionary break in asteroid science. Vesta's own features, such as its volcanic crust and lack of heavy core, contradict conventional thinking and imply that it might have had an earlier life in a more extensive planetary system, like early Earth or other terrestrial planets. What is Vesta Vesta is the second largest body in the asteroid belt and represents close to 9% of the total mass of all the asteroids in the belt. The only body smaller than it is Ceres, the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt, which is a dwarf planet. It was discovered by German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers in 1807. It was believed to be a piece of a planet that had been destroyed. It was the fourth to be discovered, and it was named by German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss after the Roman goddess of home and hearth. From July 2011 to September 2012, NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbited Vesta, accumulating critical data before heading to dwarf planet Ceres. Vesta is almost spherical and almost counted as a dwarf planet. Vesta is different from most other asteroids in that it is differentiated, i.e., it possesses a core, mantle, and crust, just like the terrestrial planets. Its surface exhibits the largest range of brightness of any solid solar system object, with dark spots believed to be residue of ancient asteroid impacts, and brighter areas made of native rocks. Also Read | Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to interact with students live from the ISS this June and conduct five additional experiments with NASA
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Tamil Nadu's GDP is now greater than the GDP of Pakistan': Naukri.com founder has a message for Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir
In a milestone that blends economic pride with geopolitical commentary, Tamil Nadu has officially surpassed Pakistan in GDP, a striking achievement considering the southern Indian state's population is nearly one-third that of its neighbour. This revelation, highlighted by Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani , has stirred widespread debate and some hot takes on social media. While the numbers speak of Tamil Nadu's rising economic clout, the conversation has inevitably turned toward Pakistan's missed opportunities. Sanjeev Bikhchandani, best known for founding took to X to spotlight Tamil Nadu's economic feat. 'The average resident of TN is now more than 3x better off than the average resident of Pakistan,' he pointed out, urging Pakistan's establishment to shift its focus from militant ideology and conflict to economic development, infrastructure, and education. He further added, 'Forget this obsession with militant Islam, Kashmir and being anti-India. And stop supporting terror groups,' he added, emphasising that the true beneficiaries of such a shift would be the people of Pakistan themselves. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Un marido ciego recupera la vista, pero no se lo dice a su mujer y se da cuenta de que le han mentido durante años. Plays Star Undo — sbikh (@sbikh) Social media shares its thoughts Bikhchandani's post lit up social media, prompting both prideful commentary from Indians and pointed observations about regional politics. One user cheekily noted that if the long-pending airport issues in Coimbatore were fixed, 'just the Kongu region will surpass Pakistan's GDP.' The user added that per capita income in that area was already intensely high. You Might Also Like: When Irrfan Khan was invited to Pakistan, his brutal reply left everyone stunned. Old video goes viral amid India-Pak tensions For the unversed, Kongu, also known as Kongu Nadu or Kongu Mandalam, refers to the geographical region covering the western and northwestern parts of Tamil Nadu. Another commenter offered a sobering geopolitical reminder, citing how other Indian states like Gujarat and Karnataka are also economically outperforming Pakistan. They drew a parallel with Iran and the Houthis, suggesting that despite being economically cornered, nations don't easily abandon aggressive postures. But perhaps the most viral quip came from a user who captured the moment's absurdity: 'When a single Indian state laps your entire economy, maybe it's time to swap missiles for math books.' Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor The conversation was triggered after the recent India-Pakistan conflict . In a decisive response to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, India launched targeted strikes on nine terror installations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last week under Operation Sindoor . You Might Also Like: 'India pulled ahead long ago': Anupam Mittal's savage takedown of Pakistan Over four days, the region witnessed a sharp escalation, marked by a wave of drone and missile exchanges between the two nations. However, tensions eased on Saturday as India and Pakistan reached a mutual agreement to halt hostilities, bringing a temporary calm after a period of intense cross-border conflict. The Pakistan government has had to knock the doors of different countries and multilateral agencies like International Monetary Fund to save its struggling economy. Recently, the IMF has disbursed a second tranche of $1 billion. Pakistan's gross reserves stand at about $10.3 billion at the end of April as compared with $680 billion of India. You Might Also Like: 'Please skip Turkey and Azerbaijan': Harsh Goenka calls for tourism boycott amid India-Pakistan conflict, says we 'gave Rs 4,000+cr' to them
